Heat Protection Expert: ‘Small Municipalities and Rural Areas Are Particularly Vulnerable to Heat’
Freiburg, 12/08/2026
How can small municipalities prepare better for heatwaves? Researchers at the University of Freiburg and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are addressing this question in the PROLOK project. In the following interview, Dr. Dennis Fila, coordinator of the project at the University of Freiburg, explains what heat protection challenges small municipalities in particular are confronted with, how they can protect themselves from the heat in the short term, and what long-term solutions he is developing in collaboration with them.
Dr. Fila, we’re in the middle of another heatwave. What challenges does this entail for people?
Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer, and more intense due to climate change. This also increases the related health risks: Heat can place great strain on the circulatory system, exacerbate existing medical conditions, and in extreme cases even become life-threatening. Groups that are particularly at risk are older adults, people with chronic illnesses, young children, and people who work outdoors.
The heat can also pose a health risk to people who living in poorly insulated buildings or have limited access to support and cool spaces. Overall, heat disrupts sleep, concentration, and performance and thus affects the daily lives of all of us—not just those of specific groups.
Why are small municipalities particularly susceptible to heat?
Small municipalities and rural areas are particularly vulnerable because they often face a combination of an ageing population, poorer access to medical care, and longer distances to support services. It is thus more difficult to reach and care for older people, people with chronic illnesses, or people living alone during prolonged heatwaves.
In addition, local governments in small municipalities are often limited in their capacity to adapt in terms of personnel, financial resources, and expertise. It is therefore important to develop appropriate strategies and structures in advance and to encourage heat-adapted urban development. Only in this way can municipalities protect vulnerable people effectively and in a timely manner.
“Our project bridges the gap between research and practice in that our team collaborates closely with municipalities and other practice partners. In other words, we don’t just put research findings into practice but develop the research questions, investigative approaches, and potential solutions in collaboration.“
Dr. Dennis Fila
Coordinator of the project PROLOK at the University of Freiburg
How can your research help to bring about an improvement?
Our project bridges the gap between research and practice in that our team collaborates closely with municipalities and other practice partners. In other words, we don’t just put research findings into practice but develop the research questions, investigative approaches, and potential solutions in collaboration. This allows us to integrate local needs, existing experiences, and scientific insights at an early stage.
The result is heat protection approaches that are more effective and targeted, that work under real-world municipal conditions, and that can be adapted for use in other municipalities as well.
“The key point is to not treat heat preparedness as a separate, individual task but instead integrate it into existing administrative procedures, networks, and planning processes.“
Dr. Dennis Fila
Coordinator of the project PROLOK at the University of Freiburg
How does this close collaboration with municipalities work in your research?
We’re currently supporting the municipalities Ihringen, Neckargemünd, and Edingen-Neckarhausen in the entire municipal planning process for heat protection. Our team is developing a standardized and practical framework that local governments can use to systematically assess their current situation, highlight existing activities and areas of responsibility, and identify particularly vulnerable segments of the population.
This results in a heat action plan that takes into account health, social, spatial, and organizational aspects while also being feasible to implement, despite the limited personnel and financial resources available to small local governments. The key point is to not treat heat preparedness as a separate, individual task but instead integrate it into existing administrative procedures, networks, and planning processes.
The insights and findings from your research could also be relevant to other municipalities in the future …
Exactly. That’s why we’re presenting our findings in a way that allows other municipalities to use them and adapt them to their specific circumstances and available resources. This includes a sample heat action plan, decision-making aids, process modules, and other tools that municipalities can use to assess their own current situation, prioritize areas requiring action, clarify responsibilities, and select appropriate measures.
As these instruments will be tested in various municipal contexts, they should be helpful for different local vulnerabilities, administrative structures, and resources. Upon completion of the research project, they will be made freely available to other municipalities across Germany as field-tested and adaptable resources.
“Our findings so far show that small municipalities are well-positioned to take swift action on heat protection despite limited resources: short lines of communication and close collaboration with local actors facilitate a coordinated approach.“
Dr. Dennis Fila
Coordinator of the project PROLOK at the University of Freiburg
What measures can small municipalities implement immediately to protect themselves against the heat?
Our findings so far show that small municipalities are well-positioned to take swift action on heat protection despite limited resources: short lines of communication and close collaboration with local actors facilitate a coordinated approach. [HS1] It’s possible even with relatively little effort to implement effective measures, such as warning chains and targeted support for particularly vulnerable institutions.
At the same time, heat protection can be strategically integrated into construction and planning projects through timely planning—for example in the form of heat-adapted buildings and cooling options in institutions that are particularly sensitive from a social perspective, such as hospitals and retirement homes, and by providing shade for public spaces. Other means of mitigating the effects of heat include the sponge city principle, fresh-air corridors, and the protection of areas where cool air is generated.
About the PROLOK project
PROLOK (‘Prozessschema für lokalspezifische Hitzeanpassung in kleinen Kommunen’ – process scheme for site-specific heat adaptation in small municipalities) is a project of the Sustainability Innovation Campus (ICN), a joint initiative of the University of Freiburg and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The ICN promotes projects in all areas of sustainability research and has been funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts since January 2024.
The PROLOK project investigates how small municipalities with limited personnel and financial resources can develop heat action plans and integrate them permanently into their administrative structures. Researchers from the University of Freiburg and KIT are collaborating with the consulting agency Klima Plus, the regional association Verband Region Südlicher Oberrhein, and municipal practice partners from June 2024 to December 2026.
In the first project phase (June 2024–May 2025), the project initiated a municipal partnership with the pilot municipality of Ihringen. As of the second phase, beginning in June 2025, the municipalities of Neckargemünd and Edingen-Neckarhausen are now participating in the project. ‘The collaboration between researchers and local government is a great asset for us. We contribute our experience from day-to-day administrative work and at the same time gain scientifically sound insights that help us to develop effective and practical heat protection measures. Both sides benefit from this exchange’, says Mayor of Neckargemünd Jan Peter Seidel.
The experiences gained by local governments are being incorporated into the scientific development of tools that small municipalities can use to implement heat protection plans as independently as possible in the future. This includes a heat portal, decision-making aids, a process schema, and a sample heat action plan. In addition, the project team is drafting a policy brief that identifies the legal and support needs of small municipalities.
The results of the project will be published in the run-up to the closing event, which is scheduled for 19 November 2026 in Karlsruhe.